Audible alerts are a common mechanism for personal computers to relay their operating status to the end user. These alerts are typically known as “beep codes” and are commonly used when the system has failed to boot during power on self test (POST)/BIOS execution, and the system was unable to display a visible warning to the local monitor. For example, a system with no memory installed will fail with a NOMEM error, which is assigned to a 3-3-3 beep code (i.e., 3 rapid beeps, pause 3 rapid beeps, pause, 3 rapid beeps).
While these beep codes provide an indication of operating status, a problem exists on blade-type systems, such as BladeCenter from IBM Corporation, where multiple, independent planar or server systems reside in a common mechanical housing. If a planar in such a housing were to fail to boot during POST, for example, the standard audible tone alerting the user to the failure either would not be heard or could not be resolved to the one failing planar out of those installed.
Accordingly, a need exists for a mechanism to propagate the audible alert in a manner that allows monitoring and management of all of the planars within the housing. The present invention addresses such a need.